WASHINGTON — A month has passed since ethnically targeted killings and an alleged coup broke out in South Sudans capital city of Juba, triggering an escalating humanitarian crisis. Two of the State Departments top diplomats for Africa appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, and were met by allegations that the Obama Administration turned a blind eye to a crisis bound to happen.

The current Administration has ignored numerous warning signs within South Sudan, said Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Republican of New Jersey, citing longstanding reports of corruption and ethnicly targeted violence. Concerns over lack of inclusion in the constitutional process by those outside the ruling Sudan Peoples Liberation movement were dismissed as a problem that was being addressed, he added.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, defended U.S. engagement with South Sudan prior to the outbreak of recent violence.

Characterizing U.S.South Sudanese relations as having a special history, Thomas-Greenfield noted that high level meetings between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and US officials occurred on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly held in September of last year. Thomas-Greenfields testimony, however, did not specify whether concerns of insecurity were addressed in the September meetings.

Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, the worlds youngest nation has been fraught with political and ethnic tensions, which reached a tipping point last month. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, a former rebel commander turned political leader, has faced allegations of corruption and authoritarianism. Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, the nations most populous tribe, was criticized in July 2013 when he dissolved his cabinet and fired the then-vice president, Riek Machar. Machar, an ethnic Nuer, the nations second largest tribe, was largely viewed as the presidents sole political rival.

President Kiir alleges that his former Vice President responded to the firing by staging a coup attempt on the night of Dec. 15. Machar denies the claim and U.S. officials have expressed skepticism towards the coup allegations.

Violence since has convulsed seven of the countrys 10 provinces  sparking a humanitarian crisis that has forced over 400,000 civilians to flee their homes, according to the UN.

The U.S., South Sudans largest aid donor and chief Western supporter, responded to the sudden conflict with a $50 million increase in humanitarian aid. Insecurity and a lack of state capacity, however, have limited the ability of UN agencies and NGO partners to access South Sudanese civilians displaced by the conflict

The challenge is getting humanitarian supplies into the areas where IDPs are, said Earl Gast, USAIDs assistant administrator for Africa, in reference to internally displaced populations. As it stands, roughly 200,000 IDPs, half of South Sudans entire displaced population, need immediate humanitarian assistance, according to USAID.

The US channels humanitarian funding through a network of UN agencies and partner NGOs to improve efficiency. Nevertheless, even when reaching IDP populations, humanitarian responders have faced significant challenges.

The WFP  the UN food assistance program  estimated on Monday that 10 percent of their food stocks, which could feed up to 180,000 people a month, have been looted. Moreover, dozens of IDPs seeking shelter in a UN compound in Malakal, a northern port city along the Sudan-South Sudan border, were wounded when stray bullets entered the compound, according to the UN Mission in South Sudans twitter feed. The UN has yet to confirm where the shots came from.

The UN does not have the capacity at the moment to provide full protection, Thomas-Greenfield told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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